Your Secret (A Ponyboy Lovestory-ish)
by AIR XXIVCIVIIIV
Summary: Kathleen Theresa or Katie for short, just moved in next door to the Curtis. Katie and her two brothers Austin and Marcus quickly befriend the Curtis brother. However, when Ponyboy gets dangerously close to the brothers' secret, its Katie who pays the price. Tired of her life, she begs for Darry to help her out. (Takes place after the book ends)
1. Chapter 1

"Ponyboy! Come on, we're meeting our new neighbors!" Ponyboy heard Soda yell. He sighed, closing his journal and joined his brothers downstairs.

Soda was wearing his DX shirt and Darry in his usual shirt and jeans attire.

"New neighbors? I didn't even know the others moved away." He said casually, waiting for Soda to finish up with his uniform.

"Yeah, well apparently this family has a kid around your age Pony, so play nice." Darry added.

Austin and Marcus unloaded boxes off the truck. They were tired, driving eight hours from Illinois to Oklahoma. Austin saw three boys approaching them. They looked like they were different ages. The tall, buff one seemed like the oldest while the stupid looking blonde one, he figured was the youngest.

"May I help you?" He asked, setting a box down.

"Good afternoon. My name is Darrel Curtis and these are my brothers Sodapop," he set a hand on the good-looking dark haired boy's shoulder, "and Ponyboy." He eyed the blond one. Darrel held out a hand. "We heard you were our new neighbors."

Austin and Marcus shook all their hands. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Austin Chase and this is my brother Marcus."

"Marc for short." The brown haired boy smiled. "And uhh… Katie!" He yelled towards the front of the truck.

Ponyboy peered over to get a better look on who was going to get out. A pair of teal converse stepped out and he never saw anything more stunning. This Katie girl was so pretty it was ridiculous. She had short, layered, brown hair and dark blue eyes that shown light blue under the sun. She wore jean shorts, white tank, and a leather jacket.

"This is our little sister Katie. Katie, these guys are our new neighbors." Marcus explained, presenting the brothers.

Katie smiled faintly. It was a fake smile. "Hi. I'm Kathleen Theresa, but you can call me Katie for short."

When she shook Pony's hand, he asked. "Kathleen Theresa? What kind of name is that?"

"It's my kind of name. And what's yours?" She retorted, her smile getting slightly bigger.

"Uhh Ponyboy Curtis."

Katie scoffed. "Yeah and I have the strange name."

"Hey be nice." Austin scolded.

"No, it's alright. Our kid brother here doesn't know how to play nice." Sodapop joked, gently hitting Ponyboy on top of his head. "Anyway, did you need help moving in?"

Marcus set down a box and pondered. "Yeah sure. If you guys don't have anything to do, we'd appreciate the help."

Darry, Soda, and Pony along with Austin and Marcus picked up a box and trudged inside, not being able to see where they were going. Pony glanced over his shoulder, seeing Katie standing where she last stood, staring bluntly at the ground.

"Hey if you're waiting for the devil, he's not coming." He called at her. She shifted her gaze to him and he shot her a grin.

For the first time in a long time, Katie grinned back.

Katie sat on the edge of her bed, holding a family picture. A couple tears spilled down on the glass frame.

"I miss you Mom, Dad." She brushed her thumb across two feminine faces. "Kat, Terry. I'm so sorry." More tears stained the glass.

Austin came in the room, crossing his arms. "Your attitude today wasn't necessary. It's a complete embarrassment to us, you know that?"

Katie nodded, placing the picture on the side table. "I'm sorry."

Her brother frowned, stepping in. "That's all you know how to say. You should know nobody accepts your apologies." He grabbed her by the shirt. "Get it through your head that you shouldn't be alive." He hit her across the face, throwing her on the ground, punching and kicking her repeatedly.

Katie covered her head and curled up in a ball, begging for her brother to stop.

Downstairs Marcus caught up on daily news, reading the paper. He sighed, hearing his kid sister's familiar scream.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hi guys! Thanks so much for reading this and I'm surprised you do read it... but thank you. Sorry haven't posted in a while, have been very very busy with theatre so i barely have time to myself and to sleep... soo yeah... here it is and as always credit goes to S.E Hinton! -Love and all AIR_

Katie wiped the brush across her face, covering the bruise under her eye. Her hands shook as she applied makeup to cover up the cuts on her body and her face. She braided her hair to the side and slipped in a light blue long-sleeved and a jean skirt. Her supplies for school were packed and ready from the night before. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and skipped down the stairs.

Austin and Marcus sat around the table, eating breakfast.

"Eat. You can't be late for your first day of school." Austin ordered.

Katie nodded, grabbing a sandwich that Marcus fixed earlier. "I'll be back as soon as classes are over." She promised, heading out the door.

She saw Ponyboy about to leave as well. "Good morning Katie, how are you?" He asked, joining her on the walk to school.

"I'm okay. How about you?"

"I guess I'm okay too. Did you sleep good?" Katie eyed the guy suspiciously. She got a creepy vibe from him. "Ah! Sorry I didn't mean it like that!"

She smiled. "Don't worry. I knew what you meant. So uh, what's school like?"

"Like any ordinary school I guess? I don't really pay attention much to popularity. I just kind of mind my own."

"Oh I see. Okay then." She lowered her head, making sure he doesn't see the makeup on her. Then again when do boys pay attention to whether or not you wear makeup?

Classes were extremely boring. She figured out that she and Ponyboy didn't really have any classes together. Which Katie couldn't decide if it was a bad thing or a good thing.

The teacher decided to end classes early. A girl she recognized approached her.

"Hey. I'm Ava Alexandria. I heard you just moved in to town?" The girl had beautiful honey brown hair down to her shoulders and sparkling blue eyes.

Katie nodded. "I'm Kat- Katie. Chase. My brothers and I moved in yesterday from Illinois."

The girl's eyes widened. "Wow really? That far away? So do you like it here better?"

Katie nodded. "Yeah. Love it here." Ava heard a tone she hadn't heard before. It sounded like despair, like a person trying to move on.

She studied the new student. "Katie… Did you lose people back in Illinois?"

A burst of memories flooded her vision. She couldn't tell a girl she's only known for three minutes. "Uhh… Well…" Saved by the bell. "Bye!"

Katie ran out to the courtyard to have lunch. She searched for a secluded area away from people. A circle of grass surrounded by trees called out to her. She leaned against the trunk and sighed. So far, Oklahoma is fine; better than staying in a haunting state.

"Katie?" She followed the voice, meeting the eyes of Ponyboy.

"Oh. Hi. What are you doing here?" Her voice sounded scared, or perhaps worried.

He sat beside her, taking out food from the brown paper "I was just wondering where you were. Are you not eating?" She shook her head. "Why not? You want some of mine?"

"No thanks. And I'm not really hungry." Ponyboy studied her for moment. A part of her face glowed brighter than the part around her right eye.

"What's this?" He brushed his thumb under her eye, a powder staining his finger. "Is this makeup?" He wiped the other side of her face. "Okay why do you have makeup on the right side of your face, but not your left."

"No reason. I just love having on uneven makeup." He caught the sarcasm and playfully hit her on the shoulder. Ponyboy halted abruptly, staring off towards the school. Katie followed his gaze. "Got a crush on her?"

He shook his head. "Naw, just a… Just a…"

"Yeah you have a crush on her. Why don't you ask her out; she seems nice." She observed the way the girl's red hair bounced up and down as she cheered on the field with the rest of the team.

"Ask Cherry out? You're still new Katie. Cherry and I have history." Ponyboy slumped back on the tree.

"Oh so you two had sex?"

"WHAT?" He yelled, attracting some attention of students near them.

"You said you had history." She shrugged.

"Yeah, but not that kind of history."

"Well you should've specified."

He sighed as he thought back to the past; the many events that haunted his dreams from time to time. "My buddy Johnny killed her boyfriend. So she and I are a little tense with that subject."

She lowered her head, feeling ashamed of her question. "Oh yeah. I heard about this before we moved here. I'm sorry. I didn't know he was a friend of yours."

"Don't worry about it. I've been able to work my way through life so far." He finished his lunch, watching the cheer team practice some more.

Katie caught glance of a pair of familiar eyes. Has he been watching them the whole time? And if he has, did he see it? Did he sense it?

"Katie." Austin appeared in the doorway. He did see it. "We need to talk."

"About what?" She tried to sound brave, but in the inside, she was frightened, wanting this to be over.

"Does he know about you?"

"No."

"Did you tell him?"

"No."

"Katie, you know the punishment for this right?"

"But he doesn't know!"

"He was close to. And I'm not dealing with that ever again." Austin unbuckled his belt. "Go."

She stripped off her shirt and stood in front of a wall, her hands flat on the surface. Her eyes shut in surprise as the belt whipped across her skin.

Downstairs, Marcus heard his brother's belt scratching his sister's back. He gripped the newspaper harder with every whip.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hi guys! I'm glad some of you guys really like this story! I'm sorry I can't respond to your reviews but I want you to know that they are very much appreciated and very much read! So thanks so much! I had a little free time during the show so I decided to type this out. Might be a little crappy but enjoy! Love and all- AIR_

As Ponyboy left his house, he saw Austin about to leave as well. But Katie didn't follow him out.

"Mornin' Austin!" He called politely.

"Mornin' Curtis. Off to school are ya?" He started up his truck, shutting the door before continuing their talk.

"Yeah. Is Katie not going today?"

Austin shifted uncomfortably. "Uh yeah. She got some bad cold or something. Probably from the weather change. She oughta be fine by tomorrow." Before Ponyboy could ask any more questions, Austin excused himself to go to work.

Ponyboy caught his body language and knew something was up. And not wasn't good.

Katie's breath shook. She observed the scratches in her back in the mirror. He didn't hold anything back. Red marks stained her arms and back. Some bruises were visible on her face. She needed to stay away from him.

"Katie."

Katie didn't look towards the doorway as Marcus stood there.

"Katie, maybe you shouldn't be friends with him. Because Austin's been very cautious with your relationship with him."

"Why does it matter what he thinks." She whispered. "I'll never have a normal life. I'll never have friends. So why do you even put me in school?"

"You need to be educated?" Marcus stepped in, earning a glare from his sister.

"Don't you dare take one more step towards me." She chided.

"Katie-"

"I swear to god if you step any further, I'm going to kill you."

Marcus caught that she was already crying. "Kathleen Theresa, why are you crying?"

Katie snapped. "Get out! Get out you damn bastard and stay out!" She pushed him out of the room and locked her door. "I don't want to see your face near me, do you hear?" Marcus could still hear her soft sobs. "Do you hear? Stay out..."

"Katie?"

"I don't want you... I don't need you..."

Marcus sighed and grabbed his back for his job.

She sat on the floor, crying. Not caring that she sounded ridiculous and probably looked like it too.

"Katie?" A familiar voice whispered. "Katie, it's me, Ponyboy."

She shot up, brushing away tears and quickly applying makeup to her hands and face. She pulled on a shirt and ran down to greet him.

"Well you don't look nothing like a sick kid." He commented, making himself comfortable.

"Did you talk to Austin?" She made her voice sound sick which wasn't difficult since she just cried moments ago.

"Yeah. He told me you caught a cold or somethin'. You look fine to me." He held out his hand to her.

She glanced down, hesitant. If she accepted it, Austin will rip her head off. If she doesn't, she'll never live life. Either way, she's dead. Katie gently placed her hand on top of his. He led her to sit next to him.

"I know we've only known each other for so long, but I don't like it when people are sick. Or hurt. I've lost friends before and I ain't losin' another."

"It's nothing, I promise." She grinned lightly to him.

"Promise?" He moved her chin so their eyes would meet. "Promise me you're okay?"

She nodded a lie. "I'm okay." Her arms unconsciously wrapped around his body. Surprised, Ponyboy returned her hug. When he moved his hand down her back, she flinched. He felt the sudden movement, and awkwardly looked down the back of her shirt. He pulled back in surprise.

"What?"

"What happened to your back?" He asked cautiously.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw blood. Are you okay?" He tried to move to reassure to himself that what he saw was real.

Katie shoved herself against the couch. "I'm fine."

"Liar. Let me see."

"No."

"Katie please just-"

"No. I'm fine, I promise. I think you should go. Soda and Darry'll get made at you for skipping school. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Ponyboy let his mannerism get the best of him. He nodded and walked to the front door. He turned around, seeing Katie still sitting on the couch. Slowly, he walked back to her, lowered down and kissed her cheek.

"Take care of yourself." He whispered sweetly.

Katie's hand slipped up on her cheek. She felt a tear run down her fingertip. It was either a tear of joy, or of pain.


End file.
